An Interesting Arrangement
by KireiYume
Summary: Chrom arranges a marriage between Frederick and Robin...and they want out. But how long will their hatred of each other last? [EDIT 9/18: I am upping the rating to T because there is a little discussion of sex and I want to be safe]
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So, after being out of writing for FOREVER and not having a ton of inspiration, I found otpisms .tumblr .com (spaces here because the text formatter really seems to not want to let me credit this amazing blog!) and let me tell you it was a great thing because I got this prompt: (OTP Idea #219: AU where your OTP is in an arranged marriage and they really hate the idea of it, so they start thinking of ways to get the other person to break it off. Both A and B ask their friends for advice on how to piss the other off. Then the friends of Person A and the friends of Person B tell them things that the other person loves instead. Person A and Person B end up falling in love instead of hating each other.) Well, I couldn't pass that one up, and I didn't feel like I needed an AU if I tweaked things just a touch, so here we are!**

Chapter 1—An Arranged Marriage

 _Robin_

"Robin, Frederick, I love both of you," Chrom said. He'd called the two of them to his side shortly after the war began to wind down, only telling them that it was very important that they listen. Naturally, they both were happy to comply. "You know that I want what's best for Ylisse, and what's best for both of you. So, though you might not like this idea…I would appreciate it if the two of you married."

"What?!" Robin almost choked on the exclamation.

"Milord, would that _really…_ " Frederick's tone dripped with disdain, but Chrom ignored it and forged on.

"Yes. I know that you two might not love it from an emotional side of things at first, but logically, it makes sense. We're trying to make peace with Plegia—a union between a Plegian tactician and a guardian of Ylisse would greatly help our cause in the public eye. Robin's marriage to someone so close to the royal family would really help her gain the trust of the public, and Frederick, her influence can only help you." Both of them opened their mouths to object, but saw the logic in Chrom's words. "Think about it. If the idea's completely unbearable, I won't force it, but it would be a huge help. You can go now."

Robin left for her tent, trying with all her might to not look as if she was storming off to go sulk. She wanted to help Chrom, wanted to with all her heart, but dammit, her loyalty had limits! And one of those limits was Frederick. He was a stickler for order, hated change with a passion, and was so… _methodical_ about everything. And worst of all, Robin saw that Frederick didn't trust her. Right away, he disliked her, and she couldn't blame him for that, but time and time again, she'd proved herself, and time and time again, Frederick had stubbornly refused to give her even the tiniest bit of trust. She could bear it now, but living like that? It would be exhausting. Awful. Impossible, in fact. Robin knew that she absolutely could not deal with that bitter, distrustful stare on a daily basis.

Really, how could Chrom expect her to do this? _He_ got to marry for love, even as the monarch, even as the one who _should_ be stuck in an arranged marriage; why shouldn't she be allowed that same basic courtesy? But Chrom was her friend, and if the engagement—Gods, even calling it that made her feel sick—didn't work, it would hugely disappoint him. Robin was not about to tell him how awful his idea was, was not about to tell him that she and Frederick were about as compatible as fire and ice. But if she could get someone else to do it…

And, just as she always managed to do, Robin came up with a plan.

 _Frederick_

Once Frederick reached his quarters, he quickly started sharpening swords. Polishing armor. Anything to reassure him that he could do his duty without entering into this damned marriage. How could Chrom do this to him? Frederick had taken care of him since he was a babe, and this is the lot he's given? Being forced into marrying someone like Robin? Granted, she did possess brains, but at the cost of so much else! She was sloppy, disorganized, had no respect for routine, and simply didn't possess the discipline necessary of a warrior serving Ylisse, especially one so bafflingly close to Chrom! And Frederick knew that Robin hated him for his distrust of her. He simply was ensuring the survival of his charge—doing his DUTY—and she didn't respect it. Now, he could have understood it at first, but he'd reminded her time and time again that his first duty was Chrom, and time and time again she'd refused to respect that! He could ignore it now—after all, it was what was best for his lord—but _living_ that way? Absolutely not. Impossible.

Yet, he couldn't simply ignore his duty to Chrom. He'd known since he was assigned this position that he'd have to do what was best for Ylisse. And he wanted Chrom to remain happy, of course. But this? This was simply asking too much of him. His loyalty, though seemingly infinite, did have its limits eventually. Perhaps he'd have to work on that for the future. However, for now, this couldn't be done. But he didn't want to be the one to upset Chrom with this knowledge. This lapse in willingness to do his duties shouldn't be brought to Chrom's attention, and he knew how disappointed Chrom would be if this arranged marriage-ugh, Frederick hated the words more and more by the minute-didn't work out. However, he might not have to…

Frederick put the armor he was scrubbing down. He knew what must be done.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thank you all for the positive reaction! I always love hearing from you.**

Chapter 2—A Training Session

 _Robin_

The barracks were almost deserted when Robin burst into them, in search of any more experienced Shepherds she could find, any who had spent more time with Frederick than she had. Granted, due to her dislike of him, that would be most Shepherds, but the information she needed required more closeness than an acquaintance had. Luckily for her, Sumia was sitting in a corner of the barracks, polishing her lance alone.

"Hi, Sumia!" Robin chirped. This was better than she could have hoped for—not only was Sumia her friend, but she'd been with the royal family for a very long time, easily long enough to know Frederick.

"Hi, Robin! What do you need?" Robin jerked back, barely managing to avoid the point of the lance as it swung around—a natural consequence of Sumia's turning that she hadn't anticipated. "Sorry! Sorry! Did it hit you?"

"No, it's fine," Robin replied with a smile. "So…can I tell you something? You'd have to keep it totally secret! No telling anyone!" Sumia nodded, visibly intrigued. "Well…Chrom wants me to marry Frederick."

"Ooh!" Sumia's face lit up. "Congratulations!"

"No, Sumia! You _know_ how I feel about him!"

"Okay, okay…but you two would be so cute! Just like a romance novel! Frederick could sweep you off your feet, carry you into the sunset…"

"NO!" Robin exclaimed desperately, turning bright red at the notion of ANYONE carrying her into the sunset, much less someone like _him._ "I am not marrying Frederick! And that's where I need your help."

"Me?" Sumia asked, her voice quavering with nerves. "What do you want me to do? Horse plop, I'd probably mess it all up!"

"I just need information," Robin clarified. "What things does Frederick absolutely loathe?" Sumia raised her eyebrows, but thought for a moment.

"Well…right away…I'd say the first thing you could do to annoy him…maybe start showing up to your training daily."

"What?" Robin furrowed her eyebrows, staring at Sumia. "How would that annoy him? He loves his routine!"

"But he hates you," Sumia pointed out. "And if you're a part of his routine, it might throw him off." After considering for a moment, Robin nodded. The inevitable muscle pain and dealing with Frederick would be worth it to see him thrown off. Hopefully he'd see the gesture as what it was—her just trying to spite him by showing up to training _now,_ of all times. His precious routine would be ruined by her, _and_ she'd work her absolute hardest so as to never give Frederick the satisfaction of knowing he was better than her. It'd have to be done subtly, so no one else at the training session noticed that anything was amiss, but that wouldn't be too difficult; as a tactician, Robin had learned how to do subtle. Blending into the background was all too easy. She smiled. This would work. Surely, this would work.

"Thank you, Sumia!" Robin started to leave, barely moderating her grin. It would be too easy.

"No problem! I hope it works out for you!" Sumia smiled. It would work out, she thought. Just, hopefully, not how Robin planned.

 _Frederick_

"Shepherds! To me! It's time to train!" Frederick called across camp. A chorus of groans was his reply, but soon they gave way to people reluctantly shuffling over to him. He silently counted heads as he contemplated the arranged marriage. With his work thus far, he hadn't time to figure out a good way to execute his plan, but hopefully, he would, ideally before…Robin. She was here? When had she ever come to one of his training practices? And why was she starting now, of all times? Was it an attempt to mend fences? Some gesture showing that she could stick to some sort of routine? Well, Frederick thought, he'd have to see how long that lasted. She'd likely slack off the entire time or pitch a fit to try and drive him crazy. He took a long, deep breath, bracing himself for the worst. "All right, everyone, we're going to start out with a run! Follow me!" He set off toward a mountain path, so the Shepherds could have a more strenuous workout with the uphill climb. And quickly, just as he anticipated, the voices of objection began.

"Ugh, Frederick! My muscles are already killing me!"

"The Vaike…is dyin'!"

"Dammit, are you TRYING to kill us?"

So, essentially, the usual.

But Robin just wasn't contributing to the flood of complaints, even though Frederick could hear her breathing harder. She wasn't used to this as the others were, yet she kept her mouth shut. It was almost…admirable how she accepted the consequences of her lack of training and simply worked to improve. Despite himself, Frederick appreciated her silent contribution to the atmosphere of his training class.

Once they reached a good flat point of the trail, Frederick called for everyone to stop and catch their breath, and watched Robin out of the corner of his eye. She was already sweating and gasping for air, yet not a word of objection, not a single plea to spare her. He wondered how much longer this could continue, and silently decided to test her, to not let up on Robin for a moment. "Okay, everyone, push-ups! Now! Proper form!" Right on cue, the chorus of groans began, but Robin silently dropped to the ground and started working. Frederick could see her muscles shaking, but she simply persisted. He threw exercise after exercise at the group, and though Robin wasn't perfect, she kept up. Part of him was slightly annoyed that some of those that he'd trained for so long complained while a new person, unused to his regime, had just slid in and taken the "punishment" (everyone else called it that, but it really wasn't as bad as they made it out to be!) silently. Yet another part of him appreciated that Robin finally was starting to slide into his routine, finally was starting to show some discipline, just as a Shepherd should.

With those confusing and conflicting thoughts, the training session concluded. Frederick quickly dismissed everyone and departed for his tent, but as he left, he didn't miss the smug smile Robin shot at him despite her visible exhaustion. At first, he found it infuriating…but as he continued to walk away, he found himself struggling to conceal the traces of a smile that, unbeknownst to him, had appeared in his expression.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thank all of you so much for all the positive feedback! It's been amazing hearing what you guys have liked and what you've thought of all this! So, without further ado, a very late third chapter to this story! Hopefully the content makes up for the month of waiting, ha.**

 _Frederick_

After the…incident…of Robin showing up to training and the unwelcome disorder it had brought into Frederick's life, he had to accelerate the execution of his plan. So, for once in his life, he set aside his regular duties and went to find a Shepherd who would know how best to drive her insane.

As luck would have it, Stahl happened to be at the practice field on that particular day. Not only was he a very close friend of Robin's, Frederick was familiar with him as well. After all, he'd trained Stahl, taught him most of what he knew. They'd spent a considerable length of time together, so Frederick had a very good chance of finding the information he needed.

"Hello, Stahl!" Frederick called. Stahl paused, whipped around, and smiled at the sight of his old mentor and close friend.

"Oh, hey, Frederick! Thanks for the pointer you gave me the other day, by the way! I think I'm finally starting to get better than average! With my sword, at least. But how are you? Did you need something from me?"

"Actually, Stahl, I do require your assistance. Have you heard about the situation regarding Robin?"

"No, what's going on? Is she okay?"

"Well, Chrom would like her to marry me."

"Congratulations!" Stahl exclaimed, dropping his sword to clap his former mentor on the back. "You two will be so happy together! I know it!" Frederick swallowed, barely holding back a few comments that he felt would not be proper and keeping his grimace relatively neutral.

"Well, thank you for the sentiment, Stahl. However, I don't think it would be a desirable arrangement for either of us. You are aware of our conflicts in thinking, I'm sure." Stahl sighed and nodded.

"I know, I know, she doesn't really work with you the way you are. But maybe you guys could work something out! I really think it'd come together and you'd both surprise yourselves." Frederick shook his head, and failed at keeping his clear disdain out of his expression. "All right, all right. But what do you want me to do about it?"

"I'd just like information. For example, do you know of anything in particular that Robin absolutely loathes?"

"Robin has a lot of pride, Frederick. I'm guessing you know that. So she can't stand when people try to take care of her or coddle her. She won't ever tell you she's tired, and she'll get pretty upset if you prove that she's pushing herself too hard because she won't admit it to herself. We have a march soon. I'd bet you can use that then." A smile slowly spread across Frederick's features. He knew exactly what he'd have to do.

"Thank you, Stahl." Frederick, already thinking through all the details, departed, barely missing the satisfied grin plastered across Stahl's face.

 _Robin_

As the Shepherds marched to their next camp, Robin was struggling to even keep her feet. When she'd worked the past few nights to firm up details that would ensure that no one overtaxed him or herself during the march, she failed to account for her own exhaustion and had simply neglected to sleep. And, as much as she hated to admit it, Robin was feeling its effects. Her legs felt like they'd doubled in weight, and every few steps she somehow managed to stumble over a rock, the flat ground, or even her own feet. On top of that, her head was swimming dangerously. Without her full mental faculties, she wouldn't be able to think if the Shepherds needed her expertise, and that thought scared her. But faltering would be even worse. Robin knew so many of the Shepherds looked up to her as a beacon of strength—if she let herself fail, it could be a deep blow to morale, especially in these dark times.

 _Just a few more miles,_ Robin told herself. _Just a few more miles and I'll be able to rest._ But even a few more steps seemed beyond her. All Robin really wanted to do was sleep. Sleep…

"Robin!" She started at the sound of her name, almost faceplanting, recovering just in time to see Frederick staring down at her. Just the sight of Frederick sitting there, perfectly comfortable on his mount, made Robin bristle in indignation. Though he had been walking for a good part of the journey (Robin had set up a system where all riders would alternate riding and leading their mount while someone else rode, something she'd regrettably not participated in herself), seeing him rest while Robin struggled to even place one foot in front of the other frustrated her to no end. She didn't have the energy to deal with Frederick or his insufferable condescension. "Come ride double on my horse," he commanded imperiously. "It looks as if you can't even walk."

This claim, as true as it was, made Robin grit her teeth, suppressing the comments she really wanted to make and devoting more of her energy to walking normally. Out of everyone, she couldn't let Frederick see her struggle. Robin forced a smile and looked back up at Frederick. "Actually, I'm doing quite well," she replied, barely keeping the exhaustion out of her voice. He didn't look convinced, but the rebuttal Robin expected never came. Feeling more confident, Robin took another step…and then was hoisted into the air. Somehow Frederick had managed to lean over on his horse, and, while maintaining control of the reins with one hand, lifted Robin up, one-armed. "Frederick!" she gasped, still trying to process this sudden change of events.

"You are exhausted. I'm not letting you continue in this state." Frederick set her in front of him in the saddle, and she quickly gripped the saddle horn for balance. The Shepherds were beginning to look on, and Robin felt utterly mortified.

"No!" she protested, starting to push away.

"Why not?!" Frederick asked, looking exasperated. And perhaps…a little bit smug. That certainly rubbed Robin the wrong way, but she was too tired to fight and evade.

"I don't want to look weak, Frederick. You know how much morale affects an army. If I look weak, others will worry. They'll take care of me when they should be taking care of themselves. And I don't want that." She sighed and turned away, reluctant to look Frederick in the eye as a silence began to stretch out between them.

"No one could ever imagine that you are weak," he told her a moment later, an odd softness in his voice. "We all see how hard you work. You can be strong later. Right now, I insist that you rest." Robin wanted to object, she really did. But there was no denying that she was exhausted. And…she did have to admit that it was nice to finally have someone care for her a little. Though she always insisted that she was fine, Robin did have a soft spot for people taking the time to notice if she was struggling and help out. Often, she concealed her difficulties too well, and at times Robin couldn't help but feeling like no one would ever notice that she had problems too. To have Frederick notice that she needed something…maybe he really wasn't so bad. He really did care about everyone, and he was much better at detecting when he was needed. It was admirable, really. She was certainly grateful for the respite he provided her, despite not wanting to look weak.

"Fine." Robin tried to insert as much venom into her voice as she could, but her efforts fell short. It felt incredible to rest her weary legs, and, though she'd never admit it, the feeling of Frederick's steady, strong hand on her side was doing strange things to her heart. She took a deep breath, swallowed a little pride, and relaxed.

 _Frederick_

As Robin relaxed, leaning a little bit more on the hand he had on her waist, Frederick had some time to contemplate what he'd just learned. Stahl was right, Robin certainly resisted, and wasn't thrilled with him…but perhaps it wasn't entirely due to baseless pride and arrogance, as he'd thought it was before. She really cared about the Shepherds, and always put herself before them. Oh, Frederick had certainly noticed how she hadn't once taken a rest, how she'd stayed up late planning and woken up early to help execute those plans. Robin was a thoughtful woman, and as much as Frederick tried, he couldn't deny that. Not anymore.

On top of that, the feeling of Robin, close to him in the saddle, was doing strange things to Frederick's heart. He'd never admit it, of course, but something was very different. And he didn't exactly know what to do about it. However, for the time being, Frederick had other concerns. Though originally, he'd brought Robin onto his horse to simply annoy her, he did notice that she was genuinely run down. Perhaps Frederick had never really looked before—that was more than likely, given how much she always did—but he'd never seen her this exhausted. Once they reached the end of their march, he'd have to make sure that Robin rested. They did, after all, need their tactician at her best.

Frederick readjusted his hand, making sure that Robin was steady, and gently spurred his horse on. He'd have plenty of time to think about all this later. For now, he'd figure out plans when they got to camp. Surely, something needed to be done.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: So I'm back from the dead! Life got crazy and thus the fic went without having been updated for a while! But I am back with a new (unedited but WE SHALL IGNORE THAT) chapter that hopefully sort of makes up for my long absence!**

Chapter Four-A Meal To Remember

 _Robin_

Robin sat up, still dazed from a sleep of…six hours? Eight hours? She had no idea how long. Honestly, she barely remembered staggering into a tent and collapsing on her bedroll after Frederick helped her off his horse.

That memory certainly didn't help her mental clarity.

Frederick. Everything seemed like it was changing, Robin reflected as she stood up dazedly, raking her fingers through her tangled hair. The world had turned upside down. Before, Robin knew for certain that she hated Frederick. Just seeing him was enough to put her in a bad mood, make her cross, and anything he did would irritate Robin to no end. But she was starting to tolerate him at least…and the idea of marriage still made her stomach turn, but somehow that turning was different. Accompanied by a flutter of her heart, flushing of the face. All feelings that Robin didn't really want to deal with. _It's just the exhaustion,_ she told herself. _Exhaustion makes people feel strange things all the time. This is totally normal._ But Robin couldn't quite manage to convince herself.

She walked out of the tent. Allowed the gentle sunrise, tinged with pink and orange and blue, to wrap her in its tranquility. Knelt by the small creek that ran next to the campsite. Splashed some frigid water on her face. Gasped at the sensation of crisp cold that came all so suddenly. It seemed rehearsed. Somehow, everything didn't quite feel real, like she was watching it happen from miles away. Her mind was too tired to deal with any of this. But certain duties still had to be performed, certain obligations still tugged at her. And one of those very much had to do with the marriage.

* * *

"Kellam?" Robin called as she walked through the empty campsite for what felt like the millionth time. She'd thought this would be easy. Maribelle would be too coarse for Robin to deal with right now, Lissa would be exhausting to talk to with this much energy, as would Vaike, and Chrom certainly couldn't be consulted about something like this. So it had to be Kellam, seeing as he was one of the original Shepherds that had been with Frederick for what felt like forever. But conveniently enough, Robin had failed to account for his disappearing habit. Infuriating, really. How could he not be found?! Kellam wore massive armor, he wasn't a small man, and he was the sole guard assigned to the campsite while everyone else scouted around (Chrom had ordered Robin to stay behind and rest)-by all means he should stick out like a sore thumb. But obviously that wasn't the case. "Kellam! Where are you?!"

"Right here." Robin's heart practically leapt out of her chest as she simultaneously whirled around and staggered back. "I'm sorry, I thought you saw me. I guess I just blend in…" Kellam stood calmly, just behind where Robin had been a moment before, watching her with a tinge of concern. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I just needed to talk to you."

"Me? Why?"

"You know Frederick fairly well, right?" Kellam frowned slightly, tilting his head and looking Robin in the eyes.

"Is this about the arranged marriage?"

"How do you know about that?!" Robin moaned, turning bright red.

"I was in the barracks when you were talking to Sumia," Kellam shrugged. "I called over to you to let you know I was there." Robin's blush deepened. "I really think you and Frederick could work well together. It was nice that you showed up to training to please him, and I know he really cares about you too."

"Did he tell you that?" If Robin's face could have turned any redder, it would have after that last comment.

"No, but you saw how concerned he was about you the other day when he lifted you up onto his horse. He cares."

"You saw that too? Where were-never mind. Frederick and I would NOT be good together! So I need to help get him to break it off. What can I do? What would he hate?"

"Well…he's pretty picky about his food. Cook something for him. Something he can't stand. Maybe meat. He really dislikes meat." Robin remembered the way Frederick avoided bear meat the day after she'd been found, remembered how his face contorted into a grimace at just the smell of it. It would work.

"He still hates bear meat, right?" Robin asked, just to make sure. Kellam frowned.

"I don't think you can be that obvious. If there's one thing I know, it's that sometimes it's good to not be noticed. Pick something else. Make it more subtle than that." He did have a point, Robin reflected. If she was too horrible to Frederick, he'd know what she was doing and then her plan would go out the window. He knew she was there for the bear meat, so bear meat was out. She'd make it nice, cook the meat—a slightly gamey one but better than bear—as well as she knew how. And if Frederick happened to like it, that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Robin was a tactician. She knew how to adapt. It would present a welcome challenge.

"Okay, thank you, Kellam! I think I know what I'm going to do."

"You're welcome, Robin," Kellam replied, but it was lost in the wind as Robin rushed off. And unnoticed again, Kellam chuckled. Master of subtlety, indeed.

* * *

 _Frederick (The next evening)_

Frederick took a deep breath and stared at the entrance to Robin's tent, trying to convince himself that nothing strange was happening. Yet the situation presented before him was entirely atypical—Robin had invited him to a dinner so the two could become better acquainted with one another. A gesture to mend fences? More likely a gesture to poison him, Frederick mused. Chrom and Lissa didn't call him Frederick the Wary for nothing, and this situation surely had something wrong with it. He even smelled smoke from behind Robin's tent and could feel the barely warm coals from a recent fire. She'd cooked for him. Never before had she done that. Something was clearly wrong. But Chrom had overheard Robin invite him, and Chrom would be devastated if he didn't accept or if he ruined it. Frederick looked up at the stars, took a deep breath, and opened the flap to Robin's tent.

The scene before him wasn't a particularly fancy one, but it was the best they could do for being in a small camp far from civilization in the middle of a mission, and it was more than Frederick could have expected. Robin had laid a blanket out over the ground inside her tent and folded up two more as makeshift cushions, facing each other, and in the middle of the two sat a small oil lamp that cast a gentle yet fiery glow around the tent. It bathed Robin in its light as she sat, made her long blond hair look an almost angelic white and lit up her brown eyes with an earthy warmth. "Go ahead and sit down," she offered with a slight smile, and Frederick obliged. Just then, the scent of cooked meat wafted up around him, and his stomach turned. Robin knew how he felt about bear meat. _Surely_ she wouldn't. That would be worse than poisoning! Death would be a merciful release after the horrors that bear meat brought. But he couldn't just sit there and stare across at Robin, who was looking at him expectantly…and with a trace of smugness. He had to stomach it. She couldn't beat him now. Frederick took a deep breath, beat back his nausea, and took a bite.

A subtle spicy taste permeated the meat as Frederick chewed, and rather than suppressing a gag reflex, he found himself savoring it. Somehow, the unorthodox texture worked because of how perfectly cooked the meat was. How Robin had found this combination of spices and how she'd cooked the meat this nicely out here was beyond Frederick's comprehension, but he certainly wasn't complaining. Once he swallowed, for once he actually found himself craving more.

"Why do you look so surprised?" Robin asked, looking half amused.

"It's…it's excellent," Frederick stammered, unable to find a more tactful way to put it. Robin raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, really?" She looked completely mystified for half a second, before resuming her previous expression. "Well…thank you." She took a bite of her food, and for a few moments the two ate in silence.

"I expect…that you asked me here for a reason?" Frederick asked, trying his utmost not to look as though the silence had made him uncomfortable.

"Yes. I just wanted to get to know you a little bit more. I mean…if we're to…marry…" Robin swallowed and took a breath. "Then we shouldn't be strangers."

Raising an eyebrow, Frederick cautiously asked, "What do you want to know?"

"Well…when did you start serving the royal family?"

"A very very long time ago, to say the least. I don't exactly remember when, I only know that I was quite young when I began."

"A teenager?"

"A boy of perhaps eight or nine. Chrom and his family offered to take me in and train me in the ways of a knight, and I accepted. My family had served the royal family before, so it was only natural for me." Robin nodded.

"That's really a long time."

"It doesn't seem so long. I enjoy my duties very much. And Chrom has been wonderful to me. His whole family has, actually." A smile spread across Frederick's face as, just for a moment, he was consumed with memories of the days of old, playing with Lissa as a toddler, training alongside Chrom, looking up to Emmeryn like a big sister. And Robin was smiling too, listening to him reminisce.

"I'd tell you more about me, but I really don't remember that much." With anyone else the words could have seemed bitter, but her genuinely good-natured smile and the way her eyes were still full of light and happiness helped assuage any of those worries.

"That's alright. You can tell me about what you enjoy now, I assume."

"I can," Robin chuckled, her mouth quirking up at the side for a moment before she started to discuss her interests.

By the time Frederick finally decided to depart, the camp was silent and the moon shined high in the sky. He felt oddly at ease while talking to Robin. Perhaps this could work after all, he thought as he made his usual rounds through camp to ensure that no one would trip on pebbles as he or she walked. And when he finally settled down for the evening, thinking about the dinner all over again, he found himself falling asleep while smiling contentedly, something he hadn't done for a long time.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Thanks for all the positive feedback on my other chapters! It really makes my day! This was originally going to be the last chapter but we are going to continue for seven total chapters. The length kind of ran away from me, hope it's okay! Hope you all enjoy!**

Chapter Five—New Beginnings

 _Frederick_

Frederick smiled as he thought yet again of his dinner with Robin. The candles gently illuminating her face, the perfect food she'd cooked just for him, the way she smiled. It had been perfect. Too perfect. Now Frederick was having unwarranted feelings for Robin, wanting to protect her on the battlefield far more than he should, having an unwarranted desire to be around her all the time that simply talking to her didn't seem to sate. Unacceptable, the pragmatic part of his mind reminded. His duty was to Chrom. First and foremost, to Chrom. He could not sit here, favoring Robin, insisting that she be placed above everyone else. It would be so unbecoming. What could the consequences be? Someone could be injured if he wasn't there for him. His lord and lady could be injured, or worse, die. It would mean that Frederick had been derelict in his duty and that was absolutely unacceptable, but worse off it would mean that Ylisse would be without a monarch in such a difficult time. Choosing Robin over his duty would simply not happen.

Yet Frederick thought of the way Robin's eyes sparkled as she smiled, and some part of his brain all but begged that he reconsider that stance.

A gentle ache started to emanate from his hand—Frederick realized he'd been clenching his fist. Slowly, deliberately, he loosened every joint. As small as it was it gave him a sense of control. A sense he'd lost lately. First the marriage, something he didn't want, then the feelings for Robin, that he really didn't want, and then the way that Robin always seemed to make those feelings worse. Everything was falling into disorder and Frederick could not stand it. It was too much for him to handle, especially since it was starting to adversely affect his performance in battle. He'd be fighting at Chrom's side and suddenly hear a gasp from Robin and have to bite the inside of his cheek, throttling the urge to run over and tend to her, telling himself that he couldn't heal even if he wanted to and that Maribelle or Lissa would certainly take care of it. Because of this, Frederick had to continue with his plan. He had to find a way to drive Robin mad and force her away from him. And for that, as much as he disliked it…he had to find Gaius.

Gaius and Robin had been close friends for a long time. Like Robin, Gaius had been one of the newest Shepherds for a decent period of time, and they'd experienced a similar isolation, Frederick mused. He supposed that it had to be trying to not understand the dynamic, to not quite fit in. Other than that, he didn't quite understand what the two had in common. And he simply tolerated Gaius rather than enjoying his presence. Frederick did not trust his background, he simply didn't trust a _thief_ around Chrom, one who would turn around at the sight of someone who would pay him more. He was unreliable. But then again, Frederick had felt that way about Robin before. And look how that had turned out.

Luckily Gaius was alone, sitting upright near a tree on the edge of camp, the telltale stick from what seemed to be a sort of lollipop protruding from his mouth. "Ahem." Frederick decided to make his presence known, but Gaius simply ignored him. One would think that a thief would have a better grasp of subtlety, Frederick reflected irritably. But he simply took a breath and said, more loudly, "Gaius? May I have a word?"

"Hey, Freddy, what can I do for you?" Frederick bristled a little at the juvenile nickname, but resolved to get the information he needed.

"I simply need information regarding Robin."

"Oh, Bubbles. Have you two tied the knot yet?" The lollipop stick shifted to a corner of Gaius's mouth as he smirked.

"Absolutely not. I intend to keep it that way." However, Frederick's blush gave him away. "What does she absolutely loathe? I need to drive her mad."

"If you really like Bubbles, you've got to go for it. But…" Gaius let out an exaggerated sigh as he locked his fingers behind his head, leaning back on the tree behind him. "If you're really bent on driving her away, I do happen to know that she can't stand having her hair touched. Drives her crazy." Frederick raised his eyebrows. That didn't seem right. Robin didn't have any problem with his touch when he had to carry her on his horse, infuriatingly enough. She even leaned into his hand. He didn't touch her head, granted, but it still didn't seem quite right. Furthermore he had no idea how to bring it up nonchalantly. Or without making him spiral further into infatuation. But it had to do. If it worked, good. Order could return. Everything could be as it was. And if it didn't…Frederick grudgingly supposed that many, many, many things in the world could be worse than a lifetime with Robin.

"Thank you," Frederick said gruffly, already walking away. He didn't miss Gaius's soft chuckle, one obviously not intended for his ears. The Shepherds too often forgot that Frederick had excellent hearing. That should have given him pause. It certainly confirmed his suspicions that Gaius was trying to sabotage his plan. At the very least he should have abandoned the tiny seed of a plan that was beginning to form. However, something made Frederick decide to go through with it, no matter what might come out of it. For once…he almost wanted his plan to fail.

* * *

 _Robin_

Robin closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled slowly, adoring everything about the tranquil atmosphere. She sat at the top of a hill near where the Shepherds had made camp, the sun gently shining on her, warm but not scorching, and a breeze carrying the gentle fragrance of the cherry blossoms on nearby trees. A sketchbook lay on her lap, the current page covered with the beginnings of a drawing. The mountains were so beautiful from her spot, the scene framed by the pink blossoms on the trees all around her, the clouds light and fluffy as wool as they floated by, almost exuding serenity, and the sky a perfect baby blue. She currently had little but a pencil to attempt to capture this beautiful scene, but Robin resolved to do her best. Something about the gentle scratching of her pencil over paper and watching a semblance of a scene slowly unfold before her was cleansing. Almost meditative. It took her away from all her responsibility, all the tension involved in her tactics, the knowledge that one mistake could mean death. She needed this therapy. So Robin tried to draw daily, and today she couldn't have asked for a more perfect scene.

She began to outline the clouds, working to perfectly capture how they gently wrapped around the peaks of the massive mountain before her, but something interrupted her. A vague feeling that someone was there. Robin rested her hand on the tome that she'd brought out of instinct, preparing to use magic to ward off an attacker…but the person who came was all too familiar. She set down the tome.

"Hello, Frederick." Robin was trying for a casual tone, but her heart felt like it had skipped a beat. "How did you know I was up here?" Frederick shrugged.

"Lucky guess." But Stahl had taught Robin how to see when people were dissembling, and she strongly suspected that Frederick had asked around to find her. That did not help the fluttering feeling in her heart. Quickly, before the feeling overwhelmed her, Robin turned back to her sketch, knowing that she wouldn't be able to concentrate on it but hoping that a pretense of being busy would make Frederick leave. There were times where Robin felt equipped to deal with her feelings but they rarely happened when Frederick was around.

"Did you need anything in particular?" Robin asked, her hand shaking slightly as she worked on the basic outline of the tree to her right.

"I just wanted to speak with you for a moment. And thank you for the other night's meal. It really was…well, it was exceptional." Trying for subtlety, Robin leaned forward only the tiniest bit so that her hair would fall in front of her face, concealing her blush. "Oh."

"What?"

"I believe you have a leaf caught in your hair. Allow me." Before Robin could protest, Frederick's fingers were running through her long hair, and it didn't stop after one time, it went long enough for Robin to know that _nothing could still be in her hair._ If she thought her heart had skipped a beat before…well, that was absolutely nothing compared to this. Suddenly it was racing a million miles an hour as she was caught somewhere between relaxation and ecstasy.

She couldn't remember when she first knew she enjoyed the feeling of hands in her hair, but it wasn't exactly common knowledge. Only Gaius knew as far as she was aware, because he had tried to practice braiding on her. He knew that Cordelia was pregnant with a little girl and, in a request that anyone who didn't know him would consider atypically soft, he wanted to know how to do his daughter's hair when the time came. Because Cordelia was picky with how her hair stayed, Robin was the woman of choice. When she had consented Gaius had laughed at how she leaned into the braiding and had almost fallen asleep, and she had to explain why. Briefly she'd regretted it, seeing as how Gaius continually made jokes about how when she found a husband Gaius would have to teach _him_ how to braid, but the teasing had quickly passed and it hadn't come up again. At least…not until now.

Frederick couldn't miss her sharp intake of breath. He couldn't have missed the way she suddenly tensed up. But Robin didn't consider why, all she knew was that Frederick's fingers in her hair felt absolutely incredible, and that she was beginning to feel giddy from the rush of adrenaline that came with the object of her affections _running his fingers through her hair._ He had to know she liked it. And that had to be why he kept doing it, long after his pretense of something being in her hair had expired. So, as Robin learned from years and years of reading books on tactics, she decided to take a calculated risk. And she had to do it now, before the adrenaline faded away and her courage went with it. Robin took a deep breath, turned around, loosened her hair from Frederick's fingers, grabbed the front of his plain white tunic, yanked him toward her, and pressed her lips firmly against his.

* * *

 _Frederick_

It took Frederick a good few moments to comprehend just what had happened.

Frederick had begun with his plan. Ran his fingers through Robin's hair. Decided to do it a few more times because Naga, her hair was soft. And he'd felt her tense up, just like he thought she would if she disliked what he was doing. But she hadn't made any move to leave. After a few moments, she turned around, and Frederick waited to be berated, but instead she'd yanked him forward with strength he had no clue she had, and now their lips were pressed together. The worst part was that Frederick didn't care, and when he pulled away it was only for a split second so he could gasp in a breath, returning right to Robin's lips afterward. The gentle, chaste kiss only took a couple moments, but for Frederick it felt like an eternity. For a few moments, neither of them spoke. They both stared at each other, breathing raggedly, but no words came until Robin spoke up.

"Should we…talk about the arranged marriage?" Frederick nodded.

"I do believe that would be best. What…what are your feelings on the matter?"

"I don't want to be forced into anything. I might go and tell Chrom no myself. No more of this. I know you've been trying to get me to break it off. I've been doing the same thing but the rest of the Shepherds are giving us awful advice. But…I don't feel like marriage…would be out of the question?" Her last sentence should have been a declaration, but it felt like a question. It betrayed a vulnerability that Frederick wasn't used to seeing from Robin, because in those few words she sounded so scared, like she knew her heart could break but she just had to _know_.

"I don't feel like it would be pertinent to exclude such an option yet," Frederick stated, feeling his cheeks burning. Robin beamed at him, and Frederick felt himself start to smile as well.

"So, if that option is still there, I take it to mean you don't hate me anymore?" Robin asked, giving him an impish look.

"Certainly not. And I'm assuming you feel the same." Robin nodded with an amused chuckle. "So, given these circumstances…would it be acceptable to kiss you again?" With a grin, Robin nodded, and this time Frederick was the one to initiate. His arms gently wrapped around Robin's waist as the two kissed, feeling the smiles on each other's lips. Frederick threw all his fears and misgivings out the window. He'd find a way to keep adequately performing his duty. Half the Shepherds were married, and they performed well. However, at that moment, Frederick was not interested in figuring those things out. All he cared about was how Robin felt against him. And suddenly he knew why all the Shepherds suddenly looked so happy, so changed, after proposals. Living among royalty, Frederick had been used to marriages that were for the good of a kingdom. He'd assumed that he'd remain single or simply be in one of those. Yet this simple feeling of bliss and ecstasy, feeling like his world had suddenly aligned, showed him why.

As Robin pulled away to breathe and Frederick saw the gentle smile on her face, he just knew that this was how it was meant to be.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: We're almost done everyone! Only one chapter left! Hopefully it'll get uploaded in a timely manner. Thank you all so much for your kind comments, both here and on tumblr. The length really ran away with me here and I wrote this in a straight four hour sitting so I apologize in advance for weirdness.**

Chapter Six—Six Months

 _Robin_

As soon as Frederick and Robin returned to camp, they had both decided to find Chrom. Robin simply wanted to get the conversation over with as soon as possible. Then she'd get to tackle the whole camp swarming them, asking for details…and hopefully by the evening she'd have a little bit of quiet time. The hard part would ideally be over with soon.

"Chrom? Could we please have a word?" Robin called once they'd reached his tent. Chrom poked his head out and beckoned them in.

"Of course. What did the two of you need to talk to me about? Did you reach a decision regarding the arranged marriage?" Frederick and Robin both nodded.

"Milord, we've both decided that to marry now would not befit our current relationship," Frederick said. Robin nodded in agreement, noting briefly how tense Frederick was and stifling the desire to hold his hand to relax him. Now was not the time. "However, we've also decided that it is not out of the question in the future. So we'd prefer to spend a bit more time around each other first. To see if it's viable. If the marriage could survive."

"Six months," Robin cut in. "That way you don't have to wait too long for the benefits of our marriage and we have ample time to figure out how we feel about the idea. It'd help the marriage be stable. So, is that acceptable?" Chrom smiled.

"Of course. I can wait six months. I'm glad you both are considering this. It means a lot to me and I really appreciate it."

"Thank you, milord," Frederick intoned with a smile, bowing slightly.

"Yes, thank you. We'll leave you to your work now." Robin left the tent, followed by Frederick. "Well, that wasn't so bad."

"Indeed. I do apologize, but I have a few things I must attend to. Hopefully I will be able to spend some time with you later today." Robin nodded and smiled, giving Frederick a quick kiss on the cheek before going to find someone who she needed to talk to.

* * *

"Gaius?" she called, standing outside his tent. "Gaius?" Cordelia came out instead, standing a touch more awkwardly than usual as she tried to balance her swollen belly with her normal graceful movements. "I'm so sorry Cordelia, I didn't mean to bother you. I was just looking for Gaius, I need to talk to him." Cordelia smiled.

"It's really not a problem. He's probably out by a tree somewhere near the edges of camp. That's where he usually is these days, unless he's with me." Robin nodded and smiled.

"Thank you, Cordelia." Cordelia nodded and smiled, beginning to walk away. Robin had known Gaius well enough to figure out where he might be, and sure enough, it only took her a couple of minutes to find the tree that he was reclined under.

"Hey, Bubbles," Gaius called, an uncharacteristic smirk on his face.

"Gaius. Did you tell Frederick about touching my hair?" She tried to look stern, but a smile kept creeping at the corners of her mouth.

"Bubbles, you two're meant for each other. I can tell." Robin smiled. "So how'd he do?"

"Fairly well," she replied. "Sublety isn't his strong suit, but it doesn't help when I know that only one person in the camp has the information he's using against me." Gaius chuckled.

"Using against you?" he asked, his smirk only growing wider. Robin blushed. "Well, are you two gonna get hitched, or what?"

"We're waiting. Seeing how things go. Taking it a bit slower." A genuine smile spread across Gaius's face as he stood.

"Well, I'm proud of you, Bubbles." He clapped her on the back.

"Thanks, Gaius. For that last remark and for telling Frederick." Gaius winked.

"Whatever I can do."

* * *

 ** _Month One_**

 _Frederick_

Frederick had decided that Robin was going to be the death of him.

He'd only technically been involved with her in a romantic capacity for about one month thus far, and it was already more pleasurable and wonderful than he could have ever expected. The way his heart raced when he smiled, how incredible it felt when she held his hand…the overblown reactions of the rest of the Shepherds, he could have done without, but aside from that he wouldn't trade in this experience for anything in the world. It was incredible, and he was adoring every single moment with Robin. Despite their busy schedules, they always managed to find time for each other, stealing minutes where they could. In a couple of months they'd be back in Ylisse, permanently, and hopefully Robin could stay in the palace with him. They'd have more time together, and this incredible feeling would only compound upon itself. If this continued, marriage would be the best blessing he could possibly have.

* * *

 ** _Month Two_**

 _Robin_

Even the rougher and more turbulent parts of her relationship with Frederick only gave Robin an odd sense of fulfillment.

The other day they'd had a small spat. Though they'd never fought before, it was bound to happen eventually—Robin wasn't as detail-oriented, and Frederick was detail-oriented to a fault. Robin had simply neglected to put away her armor, and rather than actually talking to her, Frederick had simply radiated discontent, harboring resentment without actually discussing why he was resentful toward her. It had all culminated in a few harsh words being exchanged, a few glares, a little anger on both ends, and finally a mutual apology. Robin had resolved to put her armor in the proper place so it could be properly taken care of, and Frederick had resolved to be gentler and not allow things like that to always be his problem. As frustrated as Robin had been with him in the moment, she felt completely peaceful now. Of course, fights were a part of any relationship. Gaius and Cordelia had spats, especially since they were both short on sleep now that Severa had been born, but they always ended in reconciliation, and they were showing no signs of being anything but blissful overall. The same seemed to hold with her relationship with Frederick. They certainly weren't perfect, they had gotten on each other's nerves once and they were bound to again. But they were both were happy. And to Robin, that was what really mattered.

* * *

 ** _Month Three_**

 _Frederick_

He couldn't help but notice Robin's smile as he led her into her new quarters in Ylisse's palace. Frederick grinned as well, just happy to see Robin happy. "It's beautiful," she breathed, looking around. Being used to palaces, Frederick didn't totally understand her awe—for quarters in a palace, it was rather small, with a simple bed placed with the headboard against one wall, with a desk in the room and a small other chamber that held a wardrobe, a small table with two chairs, and bookcases that came all the way up to the low ceilings. Everything was bare, given that it was ready for new occupants. She set down her box full of her things, which were a few clothes and many, many books. "I couldn't ask for anything better." Her grin widened, and Frederick was filled with fondness for this perfect woman.

"I'm glad you enjoy it," Frederick replied, smiling. "If you need anything, my quarters are right next door." He began to leave, but Robin put her hand on his shoulder.

"Would you like to stay and talk with me? If you can, of course. It would make moving in a little more exciting." Frederick's mind reflexively filled with everything he could be doing at the moment, but he had been learning to push that away. No one would mind if the hallway was not scoured for pebbles within the next hour. It could be done later.

"Of course, my love," he replied. "Can I assist with anything?"

"If you want to, I wouldn't mind a bit of help getting these books onto the bookcase."

"Any organizational method you would prefer?"

"By subject and then alphabetized, if you don't mind. I'll be over to help in a second, I just need to get my clothes put away and my magical tomes figured out. I don't want you dealing with those, they can be…interesting for people who aren't used to them." Frederick nodded.

"Out of curiosity, why would they be particularly interesting to those unused to magic?" he inquired, taking an armful of books to the small table next to the bookcases.

"They can react in odd ways at times. The other day Sumia tried to move one for me. She thought it was an actual book, not a magic tome. Luckily it was only wind magic, rather than fire or electricity, but she was surprised enough anyway when a small tornado leapt out of it when she touched it."

"I was not aware that tomes did that," Frederick reflected, amazed. "Perhaps I just haven't been around those who make use of them enough to be aware of it." He examined the cover of the book he'd just picked up. "What would you categorize this book as?" he asked, holding it up for Robin's examination.

"Just put that with the other books I have on scientific principles, I don't have enough to put them in their own categories yet." She resumed placing clothes in her wardrobe, and she quickly finished, taking her two magical tomes out of the room with the bookshelves.

"Where are you taking those?" Frederick asked, quickly adding, "I apologize, you don't need to answer any of these questions."

"No, I don't mind. I'm just putting them by my desk, I've found that they're less likely to get moved around if people think I'm using them to work with."

"Ah." Soon Robin had accompanied Frederick, and her books were sorted quickly.

"Thank you so much for your help, dear," Robin told Frederick, kissing him.

"Of course," Frederick replied, placing her hands in his.

"I love you," Robin told him, resting her head on his chest, lacing her fingers in with Frederick's.

"I love you too," Frederick replied, kissing the top of her head. He couldn't have been happier.

* * *

 ** _Month Four_**

 _Robin_

Robin laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling, the book on her nightstand completely abandoned. She'd honestly intended to sit down and read a few chapters, but her thoughts had been wandering as of late. And Frederick was definitely to blame for that. For the past four months, Robin had found that he was never far from her thoughts. She noticed little things about him she never thought she'd care about, like how his cheeks dimpled when he smiled or the way his gaze softened when he finally let his guard down. Even the way his eyes always lit up whenever he saw her or the way he knocked on her door just a little more softly, a little more gently, than he would to get the attention of anyone else. And Robin couldn't have cared less. She'd always thought that marriage or dating held nothing but unnecessary drama and that a single life would be a better one, but that was before she actually had a significant other. Now she couldn't imagine life without Frederick's little morning visits. Robin really couldn't deny how amazing it was to be called beautiful, to always have someone to talk to, to feel Frederick's strong hand holding hers so gently, to have seemingly endless affection whenever she felt down. Being with Frederick was always a heavenly experience. She couldn't believe how happy she was, especially now that they were finally in one place, not constantly having to move around and never staying in the same place twice.

Eventually, Robin realized that no reading was going to happen in this state, and she decided to simply grab a bookmark from her desk and resume something else. As she stood, she realized her room was far darker than it had been when she'd intended to start reading—it was already almost nighttime. It was much easier to let time fly by now that she was at Ylisse. Sure, she had plenty of work, advising Chrom and doing research, but her time was mostly her own. One of the many perks of being off the road. Having a bed, a room of her own, being able to sit down and work at a desk or retrieve a book from an actual bookshelf…little conveniences she'd almost forgotten about. Even having her own suite was incredible—it seemed massive compared to a small tent. It was certainly worthwhile, trekking across the empire to help clear up the damage that Grima had done, but no one could deny that it was utterly exhausting. Time to breathe was a luxury that Robin was enjoying zealously. On top of that, the proximity to Frederick was definitely welcome. Their quarters being next to each other allowed for quite a bit of time to be together, and neither of them were complaining. Life had never been better, at least that Robin could remember, and she couldn't imagine any time before her amnesia being happier than this was.

After she grabbed the bookmark, Robin picked up the book and was about to bring it back to what she'd now made into a sort of reading room, but her door opened with a bang, causing her to start and drop the book. Frederick stumbled in, collapsed on her bed, and simply lay there, unmoving. Almost mechanically, Robin picked up the book, her eyes never leaving Frederick, wondering what was going on. After it became clear that he was not going to move, Robin decided to speak up. "Frederick? Are you…are you alright?"

"Robin?" Frederick murmured into the bed. A moment later, he started. "Robin!" He almost fell off the bed, but quickly gained his composure. "My sincerest apologies, I must have inadvertently stumbled into your room instead of my own! This is so unbecoming, I am so sorry. I'll leave right away!" He started to head for the door, but Robin stepped directly into his path.

"Frederick, you must be exhausted. You just collapsed, something is clearly wrong. You're more than welcome to stay if you'd like. In fact, I'd prefer it, at least until you tell me what's wrong and I know you'll be okay. This is very unlike you and I'm worried." Frederick sighed.

"If you don't mind, love, I'll stay. But you do have to take into consideration what sort of a pretense this sets. Others might assume some…less than desirable things." Robin rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"Everyone knows you're too noble for that. Don't worry. Sit down, you look dead on your feet." Frederick obliged, remaining perched on the edge of Robin's bed and not looking entirely convinced. "What's wrong, dear? Are you alright?"

"Of course. I'm fine," Frederick insisted, but Robin was not convinced, She folded her arms, started to give him one of her signature looks, and stared into his eyes.

"Really. Because it seems to ME that you just stumbled into my room instead of yours, and fell on the bed, somehow laying there without realizing that it was not your room or your bed, and that I was in it." Frederick sighed.

"I'm just tired, love. I spent the whole day leading training and I neglected to allow myself ample time to rest and recharge. It was a simple error on my part, and it won't happen again. I will have more foresight next time. I apologize for worrying you." He made a move to stand, pushing himself up off the edge of the bed, but winced and sat back down gingerly.

"Frederick…" Robin's voice took on a warning tone.

"Love, I'm fine. My shoulders are simply stiff. It happens after training."

"In the muscles?"

"Yes." Frederick started to roll his shoulders to try and work out the kinks in the muscles, but Robin was moving behind him. "May I ask what exactly you're going to do?" But Robin simply answered by grabbing his shoulders and gently massaging them.

 _Frederick_

Once Frederick had gotten through his instinctive tensing up at someone touching him unexpectedly, he found that the shoulder massage was absolutely heavenly. He'd never thought someone's thumbs digging into the tender muscles in his shoulders would be comfortable, but soon he found himself leaning into Robin's touch, his eyes closing in relaxation. A small sigh escaped his lips as he relished the sensation of finally being able to relax.

"Is that alright?" Robin asked. Frederick simply nodded, allowing Robin to continue. He heard a gentle chuckle from behind him. "Okay," Robin replied, and he could hear the amused smile in her voice. Perhaps he'd have to visit her more frequently when his muscles were paining him, seeing as she seemed to find amusement in his reaction. All too soon, Robin let go of his shoulders and moved where he could see her. "Are you feeling a little better?"

"Yes. Thank you, love." Frederick reached out to her and gathered her in his lap, kissing her forehead and holding her against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his lips and then simply resting her head on his shoulder. "Are you sure you're alright with my staying the night here?"

"Of course," Robin replied. "After all, if we have to decide on marriage in two months we might as well get used to each other." Her tone of voice showed plainly that she was joking, but she did have a point. "I know you want to wait until after marriage to do anything but sleeping, don't worry. I'm not expecting it. Give me a moment to change and then we should go to bed—you still must be exhausted." Frederick released Robin and she slid off his lap, moving into the smaller side room, out of Frederick's view. A moment later she emerged in nightclothes. Frederick simply removed his boots—he wasn't terribly picky about his nighttime attire. They moved into bed, with Robin on the side next to her nightstand and Frederick to her left. The whole process was a little awkward, a bit strange, but when Robin blew out the candle at her bedside and Frederick was able to see her lying there, gently lit by moonlight, it seemed like it was meant to be. She rolled over, nestled next to him, and Frederick put his arm around her. He smiled and closed his eyes. This simply felt right.

 **AN: Months Five and Six will happen in our next and final chapter! Hope you all are looking forward to it as much as I am!**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: We are finally done guys! I hope you all have loved this as much as I have! It's been amazing! I couldn't have asked for better support or better readers. Hope you all enjoy the final installment of An Interesting Arrangement! :) (also yes the time is off just a tiny bit just LET ME HAVE FLUFF)**

 **Month Five**

 _Frederick_

As Frederick sleepily opened his eyes and instinctively started to roll out of bed, something stopped him. His arms were contorted around strangely, and he realized that this was because somehow Robin had managed to intertwine their fingers in her sleep and rolled over, twisting Frederick's arms around. He smiled and slowly loosed his fingers from hers, rolling over to stroke her hair. She made a small sound, her voice thick with sleep, as she rolled into Frederick's chest. Frederick took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around her, resigning himself to staying in bed just a little bit longer. He knew that Robin was perfect…but in a single month, everything could be gone. The thought sent a chill down Frederick's spine. How had he gone from hatred to love so quickly?

But if he wanted to keep that love, something needed to be done.

Slowly, Frederick pulled away from Robin, moving out of bed as gently as possible so as to not wake her, pulling on his boots silently and opening their door slowly to avoid the creak betraying his secret. He snuck out, one thing only on his mind. He knew who he needed to find.

 **Month Six**

 _Robin_

Robin's stomach turned. Tomorrow, she was going to have to talk to Chrom about whether or not she would marry Frederick…and she didn't know what she was going to say. She desperately wanted to marry Frederick, but he hadn't made any move indicating that he wanted that as well. Ambiguity frustrated Robin, and she wanted to something, but Frederick hadn't been as present as she would have liked. She had to talk to him about this, and it had to happen now.

"Frederick?" she asked, calling down the hallway as she moved toward his door and pounded on it. "Frederick?" No answer. Robin sighed and decided to make her way to the training field. Perhaps he'd be there.

"Robin? What are you doing here?" Sumia asked, running down the hallway after her, tripping and sprawling on the ground.

"Sumia! Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes, but why are you going to the training grounds? Don't you have strategy work to do in your chambers?" Robin shook her head.

"No, no, I'm just trying to find Frederick. I need to talk to him." Sumia shook her head.

"He's not around right now. I'll walk you back to your chambers."

"Sumia, what's going on?" Robin frowned at her, deliberately trying to walk in the opposite direction of her room. "Why do I have to stay in my room like a child?! What is going on?!"

"N-n-no, everything's normal!"

"Sumia." Robin's voice turned icy. She was about to unleash a tirade on Sumia, but Stahl skidded around the corner.

"Robin! Can you come help me with a problem in the kitchen? There seems to be something moving around down there, and the staff down there is really nervous about it. We need you to come help us figure out what's going on." Robin sighed.

"Alright. I'll be down there in a moment." She turned to Sumia. "I know something is going on. We're going to talk about this later." Irrational fears swum around in Robin's head as she followed Stahl down the hall. What if Frederick was doing something awful? No, no, he wouldn't do that. He was too noble for that. But what if he was talking about their marriage with Chrom already? What if, what if, what if. Robin never knew she could feel so worried, so afraid, so overwhelmed.

But she'd never been in love before either.

"Okay, it's down here," Stahl told her. "The plates keep moving. See, they're washing themselves over there, and putting themselves in the cupboards. Now no one's going to come down here because they're scared it's a ghost."

"That isn't a ghost."

"Um, I mean…obviously…" Stahl stammered.

"That's just Kellam!" Robin exclaimed, gesturing wildly toward him.

"You couldn't see me?" Kellam asked Stahl.

"Um…I guess not. I'm so sorry, we just thought…"

"No, no, no, I'm used to it," Kellam sighed. "But I did want to borrow a book from you, Robin. I don't remember the title though…could I maybe come up to your rooms with you and look for it? I know I'd recognize it, if I saw it." Something seemed wrong, Robin thought. Her gut told her to say no, to run right out to the training field. But something in Stahl's eyes and in Kellam's made her go along with it—she somehow knew that they wouldn't wish her harm. Robin took a deep breath.

"Okay. Let's go." The duo moved up the corridor again to Robin's room, and sure enough, Kellam picked a book with a blue cloth binding about invisibility spells. Seemed like too typical a choice for Kellam, but Robin chose not to question it. "Is that the one?"

"Yes, thank you," Kellam replied politely. "I'll get it back to you as soon as I finish."

"Okay," Robin nodded. "By the way, would you happen to know where Frederick is?"

"He should be just getting back," Kellam murmured.

"From where?" Robin asked, a little too harshly. Kellam stepped back.

"I…I think it'd just be better for you to go see. He should be outside the castle." Robin threw aside all inhibitions and ran through the corridors, almost tripped down the stairs, burst out of the main doors of the castle, and ran straight into Frederick's arms.

"Love, what's wrong?" Frederick chuckled. "What are you doing?"

"I just…I thought…I…I guess I don't know…" Robin sighed. Frederick smiled.

"Will you get on my horse with me? I have something I want to show you." Robin nodded cautiously, letting Frederick help her up, not because she needed it but because she loved the feeling of his strong hands on her waist, and she wrapped her arms around his waist when he mounted the horse. As Frederick spurred his horse onward gently, Robin trailed kisses across Frederick's neck, her fears starting to melt away as they rode. "So, Robin, I am aware that you have been worried about tomorrow," Frederick began.

"I have! Would you…would you want to talk about what we should do? I feel as though we've been really enjoying this experience, and I…"

"Shhh, not now," Frederick told her. "We will talk about it, I promise. Soon. I'll tell you what I believe would be our best course of action very soon, and I promise you will know the answer. But right now, I would like you to look around and enjoy the scenery."

"It's the trail we marched along after our mission. When we met," Robin breathed, recognition dawning and making her heart beat faster. "I remember walking along here next to your horse, loving every moment of it." Frederick smiled.

"I do recall something similar," he chuckled, reaching back to place his hand on top of Robin's. "It should take us an hour or so to reach our destination, so please, feel free to relax." Robin took that as an invitation to lean forward, resting her body on Frederick's and wrapping her arms up higher, around his chest.

"Your heart's really beating fast," Robin remarked, feeling the flutter underneath her fingers.

"I blame you for that," Frederick replied without missing a beat.

"I never do this much to you," she countered, with a slight frown. "Are you sure you're alright?" Frederick nodded.

"I promise you'll understand soon." Robin settled back into the saddle and contented herself with that, watching the trees go by and the clouds gently dance across the clear blue sky.

* * *

About an hour and a half later, Frederick began to lead his horse up a hill, one that looked incredibly familiar to Robin. But it didn't click until Frederick helped her off the horse and she saw the trees framing the beautiful mountain view, now peaked with a little snow and altered by the leaves changing colors, that it really clicked. "This is where…"

"Yes," Frederick said with a smile. "I wanted to bring you here. I believed that it might be a little bit better to show you this—where our six months began."

"It's wonderful," Robin breathed, smiling so hard her cheeks hurt. She pulled Frederick close, planting kiss after kiss on his lips, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I love you," she murmured against his lips. Frederick gently pulled away and stepped back.

"I love you too," he told her. "And that's why I brought you here. Because I plan to tell Chrom no. That he will not make us marry."

"What?" Robin gasped. "But Frederick, I…" Frederick kissed her lips again, preventing her from talking.

"Love, I'm not finished. I'd like to say a few words. I plan to tell Chrom no because I don't want us to be forced into anything. I would never wish for us to have our lives forced in a certain path. If there's anything that I have learned from everything we've been through, it is that our destiny lies in our own hands. We must take our fate into our own hands because I know we both will not have our lives dictated by forces out of our control." Frederick started to reach into his pocket as he continued talk. "If we're going to get married…I'd rather it happen differently. Perhaps like this." He knelt down, and displayed a ring more beautiful than any Robin had ever seen before. It had a brilliant blue stone set in a gold band, strands of gold artistically wrapped around it so that the gem appeared to be cradled within the loving embrace of the metal. "Robin, love, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want you to be my wife. Will you make me the happiest man in the world? Robin…would you marry me?"

Robin's heart skipped a beat, and it felt as if a lump of clay had been shoved in her throat. She tried to speak for a second, but she soon abandoned it, nodding vigorously as tears streamed down her face, pulling Frederick close to her for kiss after kiss. When they broke apart, Frederick slipped the ring onto her finger. "Where did you find this? I've never seen anything like it."

"Is it alright?" Frederick asked nervously.

"Of course! It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Robin said around her tears, kissing Frederick again. When they broke apart, Frederick answered.

"I made it." Robin gasped.

"You made it? Frederick, that's…"

"Gaius taught me. I asked him. I visited him frequently." Robin held him close, admiring the ring.

"So that's where you've been," she said with a grin. Frederick nodded. "And I assume Stahl and Kellam and Sumia…all of them were keeping me away so you could prepare?" Frederick nodded again. "I love you so much. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect way to make this decision." Frederick grinned and kissed her.

"I'm glad. Now…shall we go tell Chrom?" Robin shook her head.

"Not just yet. We can tell him later. Right now…I want you." They kissed again, everything melting away but the feeling of Frederick in Robin's arms and the feeling of the ring on her finger. Everything was absolutely perfect. Robin was the happiest woman alive.


End file.
